Cowboy Up!

This is what happens when we don't go hiking on Sunday: we watch Hannah Montana. Hey, I loved it! Ali loved it! Gage loved it! Jon didn't hate it! We all watched together while I made Ali's birthday dinner and really enjoyed ourselves. AND THEN...

Monday morning I got Gage up and grabbed some clothes for him to wear. I've never had to fight him about his clothes, but on Monday, he was determined to wear a button down shirt, and jeans. He looked really cute! When he left he had the "layered" look going on, with a polo under his button-down shirt, collar up and the hair...

When he came home, he looked like this...I know, still so cute, right? But when I asked him why he had his buttons done up and his shirt tucked in, he told me it was because he was now a "cowboy."

Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be happier with the new development. He told me, "cowboys work really hard," and "cowboys don't get embarrassed about kissing their mommies." His behavior at school improved and he was made a "self-manager." He wants to play outside with ALL the other neighbor kids and build stuff and ride bikes- which sometimes he isn't so excited about. My problem?

I can't afford a wardrobe make-over, and the kid is HELLBENT on dressing the part. He wants the boots, the button-downs and the wranglers, and he wants them NOW! I love this kid! Yesterday, I had to talk him into wearing the football shirt and warm-up pants I got him by telling him they were the colors of the NFL Cowboys, and that he may not be a horse-riding, poop-shoveling, hat-wearing, boot-scootin' cowboy for the day, but he was no less, a cowboy. He was OK with that.

Aw. I hope it's not a phase. But I also hope he goes back to wearing his clothes that I already have for him. I've told him it doesn't matter what you wear, you can be a cowboy no matter what, but we'll see what's in store. Heaven help me.